Local sports digest: Cal's Keenan Allen heading for NFL draft

A week after tweeting "Decision made!" Cal wide receiver Keenan Allen announced he intends to skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

Allen, projected to be drafted high in the first round, said he is grateful for his experience at Cal.

"I have always dreamed of having an opportunity to play in the NFL, and my time at Cal has helped me get to the point in my career where I believe I am ready to take that next step," he said in a prepared statement. "I am thankful for my experience at Cal and am excited about what the future holds."

Allen is Cal's career leader with 205 receptions. He also ranks third in Cal history with 2,570 receiving yards.

Allen caught 98 passes for 1,343 yards as a sophomore in 2011. He had 61 catches for 737 yards and six touchdowns this season when he suffered a knee injury in Cal's ninth game.

The injury was not considered serious and probably will have no impact on his draft status.

Boxing

Super-middleweight champion Andre Ward suffered a shoulder injury during training, and his Jan. 26 title defense against Kelly Pavlik in Los Angeles probably will be rescheduled, multiple sources told SI.com.

Though no final decision has been made, sources said the bout probably will be postponed until late February or early March.

Oakland's Ward (26-0) is coming off a 10th-round stoppage of Chad Dawson on Sept. 8.

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Women's soccer

Stanford seniors Mariah Nogueira, Alina Garciamendez and Rachel Quon, and Cal senior Betsy Hassett and freshman Ifeoma Onumonu were named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Pacific Region first team.

San Diego State's Megan Jurado (Piedmont Hills High-San Jose) also made the first team.

Stanford junior Emily Oliver and sophomore Chioma Ubogagu and Cal junior Emi Lawson were named to the second team, and Stanford junior Courtney Verloo and Cal junior Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick made the third team.

Men's tennis

Cal coach Peter Wright was named the recipient of the USTA/ITA National Campus & Community Outreach Award, which is given for playing a leadership role in increasing tennis participation throughout one's community.